Mike is a writer with Green Building Canada, covering topics related to sustainable building and energy efficiency. He's also a keen woodworker and staunch supporter of cross-laminated timber construction. He built his own home and, over the years, has moved closer to sustainable building methods. His land is a haven for buck and small mammals, and he has spent many years rehabilitating wildlife and birds found in the area.
Without a solid roof over our heads a house is not worth much. Maintaining and replacing your roof is a costly job, but it’s well worth the price. And when pricing roof replacement, choosing the right material is a big […]
Woodworking tools have transitioned from racks of dull and dusty hand tools to bright-coloured boxes of power tools with guides and adjustments, effortlessly elevating the home woodworker to levels of professionalism once the realm of the highly skilled craftsman. Modern
Laser technology has had a big impact on the way construction is done. Though tools like laser levels and laser distance measurers did introduce significant benefits, LiDAR (light detection and ranging) laser scanning technology has ushered in profound changes given
With 23,000 houses needed to satisfy current demand, Manitoba has the third worst housing shortage in Canada after only Ontario and Alberta, according to a report by Scotiabank. The provincial capital is hardest hit. Winnipeg home buyers have to contend
There’s a strange thing about furniture. A piece of furniture from hundreds of years ago is admired with a deep appreciation for the skill and time devoted to creating it and the high quality of the materials used in it.
Since ancient times, humans have used the prevailing wind to cool their homes and provide fresh air. Egyptians took things a little further and added screens of wetted reeds to their window openings, creating the forerunner of modern air conditioning.
University College London (UCL) recently investigated the efficiency of various methods to reduce temperatures in the city. They found that painting the roofs of buildings with white or reflective coatings was the most efficient intervention to reduce inner-city temperatures. Then
The lifeblood of air conditioning and refrigeration is keeping the gas inside the pipes at pressure. However, gas is almost impossible to detect visually, so specialized equipment is required when leaks occur. I guess we have all had the experience
The five-year federally funded Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program (GICB) has been extended until March 2029 with an additional $500 million allocated to the plan. The $1.5 billion program first started by the federal government four years ago supports
If your home theatre system is your source of refuge from the barbs and bruises of everyday life, the idea of protecting it from damage caused by a less-than-perfect electrical supply may prove well-founded. Installing a home theatre power manager
